De Nederlandse wetgever is druk bezig om buitenlandse financiering van not-for-profit organisaties aan banden te leggen, waarbij het niet alleen gaat om financiering uit ‘onvrije landen’.

Het onderwerp heeft ook Europese aandacht, zo blijkt uit de consultatie (‘call for evidence’) die de Europese Commissie van 16 februari tot 14 april jl. heeft gehouden. In de uitnodiging is vermeld dat de nadruk zal liggen op transparantiemaatregelen om heimelijke buitenlandse inmenging te voorkomen. Dergelijke inmenging komt niet alleen uit ‘onvrije landen’, maar ook uit landen als de Verenigde Staten en het Verenigd Koninkrijk. Er zijn not-for-profit organisaties in de EU actief die politieke doelen promoten en door landen buiten de EU gefinancierd worden, zoals Open Ownership.

Worden Europese not-for-profit organisaties door de VS en het VK gefinancierd?

Opvallend is dat een groot aantal Europese not-for-profit organisaties samen een verklaring aan de Europese Commissie hebben geschreven waarin ze bezwaar maken tegen meer transparantie over financiering van buiten de EU. Lees bijvoorbeeld het artikel van Civil Society Europe: EU Foreign Interference Law: Is Civil Society at Risk?. Zij hebben bezwaar tegen het openbaar maken van financiering van buiten de EU, maar leggen niet uit waarom.

Het wekt mijn nieuwsgierigheid op: worden al deze organisaties door buitenlandse overheden gefinancierd? Het betreft een lange rij organisaties, waartoe bekende clubs behoren, zoals Amnesty International. Ook Transparency International, aan wie grote kennis wordt toegedicht door de witwasbestrijdende overheden, staat er bij. Zouden al die organisaties door de Amerikanen en de Britten worden gefinancierd en zou via die weg invloed worden uitgeoefend op Europese overheden? Ik ben benieuwd.

In Euronews stond een artikel waarin de woordvoerder van de Commissie wordt geciteerd, die zegt dat het om transparantie eisen gaat, waar de organisaties niet bang voor hoeven te zijn.

Meer informatie:

De verklaring is onderschreven door onderstaande organisaties.

European and International Civil Society Organisations

1. Civil Society Europe
2. Transparency International EU
3. European Civic Forum
4. CONCORD Europe
5. Human Rights Watch
6. Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association
7. Open Society Foundations
8. Amnesty International European Institutions Office
9. European Partnership for Democracy
10. European Environmental Bureau Caritas Europa
11. ALDA – Association for Local Democracy in Europe
12. Alliance 2015
13. Brot für die Welt
14. Civil Liberties Union for Europe
15. Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)
16. ILGA-Europe
17. ACT Alliance EU
18. CARE International Centre for European Volunteering
19. European Center for Not-for-Profit Law
20. Eurochild
21. European Youth Forum
22. Lifelong Learning Platform
23. Front Line Defenders
24. International Commission of Jurists
25. Social Platform
26. JEF Europe
27. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
28. Solidar
29. Balkan Civil Society Development Network
30. Citizens Take Over Europe
31. Democracy International
32. Democracy Reporting International
33. ECIT Foundation on European citizenship
34. European Students’ Union (ESU)
35. The Good Lobby
36. European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE)
37. European Network on Religion and Belief
38. Friends of the Earth Free Press Unlimited
39. European Alternatives
40. Human Rights House Foundation
41. Human Security Collective
42. Access Info Europe
43. Civil Rights Defenders
44. Coalition For Women In Journalism
45. Araminta
46. International Partnership for Human Rights
47. International Planned Parenthood Federation, European Network
48. La Strada International
49. Eurogroup for Animals
50. Lobby Control
51. New Europeans
52. PICUM Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants
53. Protection International
54. SMES-Europa – Mental Health and Social Exclusion
55. Terre des Hommes International Federation
56. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
57. RECLAIM
58. Volonteurope
59. WAVE Network (Women Against Violence Europe)

National Organisations

1. Academia Cidadã, Portugal
2. ACCEPT Association, Romania
3. ADRA Croatia
4. ADRA Europe
5. Advocates Abroad
6. ADDP – Association Défense de la Démocratie en Pologne
7. African Initiative of Women human rights Defenders
8. Aktionsgemeinschaft Solidarische Welt e.V.
9. Arci – Associazione Ricreativa Culturale Italiana
10. Asociación Española de Fundaciones
11. Association for Civil Society Development SMART, Croatia
12. Association Défense de la Démocratie en Pologne
13. Association for Legal Intervention (Stowarzyszenie Interwencji Prawnej), Poland
14. BBE National Network for Civil Society, Germany
15. Belarusian Youth Hub Association
16. Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law
17. Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives Foundation
18. Bulgarian Helsinki Committee
19. Calla – Sdružení pro záchranu prostředí – Association for Saving the Environment,
20. Czechia Centar za promociju civilnog drustva (CPCD) – Centre for Promotion of Civil Society, Bosnia çavaria, Belgium Carpathian Foundation Hungary
21. Centar za mir, nenasilje i ljudska prava – Osije, Croatia
22. Centar za promociju civilnog drustva (CPCD), Bosnia
23. Center for Public Innovation, Romania
24. Centre for Social and Gender Research “New Life”, Ukraine
25. Centre for Peace Studies, Croatia
26. Center for Public Innovation, Romania
27. CESI – Center for Education, Counselling and Research, Croatia
28. Česká rada dětí a mládeže (Czech council of Children and Youth)
29. Citizens Network Watchdog Poland
30. Cives Foundation, Liga Española de la Educación
31. Civic Alliance-Latvia
32. Civic Initiatives, Serbia
33. Civic Platform for Democracy, Slovakia
34. Civic Radauti Association, Romania
35. CIVICA Association, Romania
36. Civil Rights Project Sisak, Croatia
37. Civil Society Development Foundation, Poland
38. Civil Society Development Foundation, Romania
39. Clean Air Action Group
40. CNVOS Slovenia
41. Collegium Artium
42. Comhlámh, Ireland
43. Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ, Northern Ireland)
44. Committee for the Defence of Democracy (KOD), Poland
45. Coordination SUD, coordination nationale des ONG françaises de solidarité Internationale
46. CROSOL –
47. Croatian Platform for International Citizen Solidarity
48. Czech Forum for Development Cooperation
49. DEMAS – Association for Democracy Assistance and Human Rights, Czechia
50. Diakonia, Sweden
51. DKolektiv – organisation for social development
52. ECPI Euroregional Center for Public Initiatives
53. Education Human Rights House Chernihiv
54. Education in Action
55. E*LC Eurocentralasian Lesbian Community European Movement Italy
56. EUROSOLAR, Czechia
57. Federation for Education Initiatives FILIA Center, Romania
58. FINGO – Finnish Development NGOs
59. Fundacja Akceptacja, Poland
60. Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę (Empowering Children Foundation), Poland
61. Fundacja Edukacji Zdrowotnej Lepsze Jutro, Poland
62. Fundacja My Pacjenci, Poland
63. Fundacja Ośrodka KARTA, Poland
64. Fundacja Phan Bde, Poland
65. Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę (Empowering Children Foundation), Poland
66. Fundacja Edukacji Zdrowotnej Lepsze Jutro (Better Tomorrow Foundation for Health Education), Poland
67. Fundacja Ośrodka KARTA, Poland Fundacja Pole Dialogu – Field of Dialogue
68. Foundation, Poland Fundacja Polksiedzieci, Poland
69. Fundacja Szkoła z Klasą (School with Class Foundation), Poland
70. Fundacja Sztetl Mszana Dolna, Poland
71. Fundacja Sztuki, Przygody i Przyjemności ARTS, Poland
72. Fundacja trzeci – Third Foundation, Poland
73. Fundacja TVN, Poland
74. Fundacja Wiedzy i Dialogu Społecznego AGERE AUDE, Poland
75. Fundacja Wolności – Freedom Foundation, Poland
76. Funky Citizens, Romania
77. GENTIUM, Spain
78. German Fundraising Association
79. Germanwatch
80. GLAS Bulgaria
81. Glopolis, Czech Republic NGO Platform
82. Greek Forum Of Refugees
83. Green REV Institute Greenways Poland Association
84. Háttér Society, Hungary
85. Heks/Eper Bread for All, Switzerland
86. Hellenic League for Human Rights
87. Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe e.V., Germany
88. Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Poland
89. HESTIA – Centrum pro dobrovolnictví, Czechia
90. Human Rights House Zagreb
91. Hungarian Civil Liberties Union
92. Hungarian Helsinki Committee
93. Independent Social Ecological Movement – NESEHNUTÍ, Czechia
94. Information Society Development Foundation, Poland
95. Initiative for Development and Cooperation, Serbia
96. Inklusive House BELL, Croatia
97. Instrat Foundation, Poland
98. International Youth Association TIP, Georgia
99. Iskorak, Croatia
100. Juniper Foundation
101. Kampania Przeciw Homofobii -Campaign Against Homophobia, Poland
102. Klon/Jawor Association, Poland
103. Kultlab Celje Society, Slovenia Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation
104. Legebrita, Slovenia
105. Leroy Merlin Foundation, Poland
106. LDH (Ligue des droits de l’Homme), France
107. LGBT Komiteen, Denmark
108. LGBTI Organisation Deystvie
109. Ligue de l’enseignement, Belgium
110. Ligue des droits humains (Belgium)
111. Local Democracy Agency Sisak, Croatia
112. Maecenata Foundation, Germany
113. Mazovia Federation, Poland
114. Mreža mladih Hrvatske, Croatia
115. #MyBrainMyChoice Initiative, Germany
116. National Federation of Polish NGOs (OFOP)
117. National LGBT* Organisation LGL, Italy
118. National NGO Coalition Lithuania
119. National Volunteer Association, Czechia
120. Netherlands Helsinki Committee
121. Network of Estonian Non-Governmental Organisations
122. NGO BE ACTIVE 16
123. Norwegian Helsinki Committee
124. Novact – International Institute for Nonviolent Action
125. Nyt Europa, Denmark
126. ÖH – Austrian Students’ Union
127. Ökotárs – Hungarian Environmental Partnership
128. Foundation Okraslovaci Spolek Celakovicky, Czech Republic
129. Open Estonia Foundation
130. Open Lithuania Foundation
131. Open Republic – Association against Anti-Semitism and Xenophobia
132. Open Society Fund Prague
133. Otevřená společnost – Open Society, Czechia
134. Panoptykon Foundation, Poland
135. Partin, Netherlands
136. Partners Albania for Change and Development
137. Peace Institute Ljubljana, Slovenia
138. PILnet
139. Platform for Social Housing, Czechia
140. Polish Donors Forum
141. Polska Fundacja im Roberta Schumana
142. Power of Humanity Foundation (Emberség Erejével), Hungary
143. Projekt: Polska
144. Resource Center for Public Participation
145. RFSL, Sweden
146. Rural Development Foundation, Poland
147. Society for All, z.s. , Czech Republic
148. SODI – Solidaritätsdienst International e.V.
149. SIBAHE – Slovenian Food Bank
150. Spiralis, Czech Republic
151. ŠRVŠ, Slovakia
152. Stefan Batory Foundation, Poland
153. Stiftung Zukunftsfähigkeit, Germany
154. Stowarzyszenie Kłodzka Wstęga Sudetów – Lokalna Grupa Działania, Poland
155. Terra Hub Croatia
156. Terre des Hommes Germany
157. The Field of Dialogue Foundation, Poland
158. The Good Lobby Italia
159. The Irish Council for Civil Liberties
160. The Wheel, Ireland The Wiktor Osiatyński Archive, Poland
161. Transparency International Czech Republic
162. Transparency International Nederland
163. UEF Hungary
164. Volies, Spain
165. Voluntare, Spain
166. Vouliwatch, Greece
167. We are Europe!
168. Xnet, Spain
169. Ženska udruga ‘IZVOR’, Croatia